Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe
The authors of ‘The Bright Ages’ return with a real-life Game of Thrones – the story of the Carolingian Civil War, a bloody, protracted battle pitting brother against brother, father against son, that would end an empire, upend a continent, and redefine the future of Europe. By the early ninth century, the Carolingian empire was at the height of its power. The Franks, led by Charlemagne, had built the largest European domain since the heyday of Rome. But just two generations later, their world was in shambles. Civil war, once an unthinkable threat, had erupted after Louis the Pious’s sons tried to overthrow him – and then placed their knives at the other’s neck. The Carolingian Civil War would rage for years as kings fought kings, brother faced off against brother, and sons challenged fathers. Oathbreakers is the dramatic history of this brutal, turbulent time. Medieval historians Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry illuminate what happens when a once unshakeable political and cultural order breaks down and long suppressed tensions flare into deadly violence. Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry will talk about this turbulent time, what deep cracks in a once-stable social and political fabric might reveal, the bloody consequences of disagreeing on facts and reality, and what happens when things fall apart.
Matthew Gabriele is a Professor of Medieval Studies and Chair of the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
David M. Perry is a journalist, historian, and speaker, working at the University of Minnesota, promoting the value of studying history.
The event will be followed by a question and answer session and book signing.
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